Railway signal and train-controlling mechanism.



E. E.- FLORA & R. J. ZORGE.

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 1a, 1908.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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RAILWAY SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1908.

912,662, Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

B. E. FLORA & R. J. ZORGE. RAILWAY SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1908.

912,662. Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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fi 615m? 459 E. E. FLORA & R. J. ZORGE. RAILWAY SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1908.

. Patented, Feb. 16, 1909:

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E. E. FLORA & R. J. ZORGE. RAILWAY SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY13, 190B.

E. E. FLORA & R. J. ZORGB. SIGNAL AND TRAIN GONTRO LLING MECHANISM.

RAILWAY APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1908.

Patented Feb. 16, I909. a SHEETSSHEET a.

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E. B. FLORA & R. J. ZORGB.

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIQN FILED MAY 1a, 1908.

' 912,662. Patented Feb. 16,1905.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 190B.

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"UNITEQ STATES llngENT OFFICE.

ELLSWORTH E. FLOR-d AN l) ROBERT J. ZORGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO ZORGE SAFETY RAILWAY EQUIPMENT GOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION TILL'INOIS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND TRAIN-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

No. emcee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1c, 1909.

Application filed May 13, 1908. Serial No. 432,730.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELLSWORTII E. FLORA and ROBERT J. ZORGE, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway Signal and Train-Controlling Mechanism, of which the'following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to means for giving warning to an engineer, or motorman, approaching an open switch, an open draw, or other danger point with his train, or car, and to means for automatically applying the brakes if the warning is not heeded.

The primary object of the invention is to provide improvedapparatus for stopping a train, in the event that the alarm signal employed is not heeded; and a further object is to provide, in combination with such mechanism, means for giving an alarm signal prior to the operation of the automatic train controlling mechanism, in order that the engineer, if he heeds the signal, may bring his train to a stop gradually under his full contro Some of the mechanism em loyed as a part of the present invention 8.1K certain of the electric circuits shown in the accompanying drawings are illustrated and described in detail in our application No; 379,791, filed June 19, 1907.

The present invention is illustrated in the accom an in drawin s in which- D D 7 v Figure 1 re resents a dia rammatic view of a portion 0 a railway trac equipped with our improved alarm signal and train-controlling mechanism Fig. 2, an end elevational view of an engine or motor-car equipped with mechanism cooperating with the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 and serving to automaticall control the train; Fig. 3, a broken sectional view taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 4 and showing mechanism for automatically restoring the movable stop, which islocated at the side of the track and which is shown in Fig. 2 in a horizontal position, to its normally standing position; Fig. 4, a section taken as indicated atline 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a-plan section taken as indicated at line 5 of Fi 4; Fig. 6, a broken section taken'asindicated at line 6 of Fig. 7 and showing the mean'slocated at the top of the pole or standard shown in Fig. 2, which serves in the actuation of the movable stop mentioned; Fig. 7, a broken section taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a broken side elevational view of the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the operative position of the movable stop mentioned being shown in full lines and the inoperative, or normal standing position, being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 9, a broken sectional view taken as indicated at line 9 of Fig. 8 Fig. 10, a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 11, an enlarged broken view showing the manner of supporting the rock-shaft illustrated in Fig. 2 at the central ortion thereof and means for shiftin the roc -shaft longitudinally; Fig. 12, a broken section taken as indicated at line 12 of'Fig. 11; Fig. 13, a broken view on an enlarged scale, showing the automatically opened air-relief valve shown inFi 2; Fig. 14, a broken section taken paralldl with the view shown in Fig. 2

w and exposing the sprin contained in the easing shown at the rightrand up er portion of the engine shown in Fi 2, saic spring serving to restore said rock-shaft to its normal position after the rock-shaft has been automatically actuated to open said relief-valve; Fig. 15, a diagrammatic view illustrating the circuit of the electric motor which serves to restore the movable stop mentioned to its normal standing position, and illustrating, also, the means for controlling the motor circuit; and Fig. 16, a broken vertical sectionalview illustrating a ortion of the torpedoplacing mechanism escribed and claimed in said application No. $79,791.

It may be preliminarily stated that in the dia ram illustrated in Fig". 1 the rotary torpe o-carricr em loyed is 'representedas controlled by an. e ectric circuit which is controlled by a branch circuit connected with the switch-point 'of a railway track, and is further controlled by twoelectric circuits connected with two insulated sections of a railway track; and the torpedoplacing mechanism is represented as controlling the movable member or stop which is located at the side of the railway track and which serves to enga e an arm mounted on the rock-shaft carried y the engine, thereby to open the 1 relief-valve through. the medium of said rock-shaft. The torpedo-placingde'vice is arranged to operate to place a torpedobe neath a train approaching the switch po'int in the event that the branch circuit mom 11 0 tioned is interrupted at the switch-point, and the torpedo-placing devicewill not operate to place a tor edo beneath a trainxpassing in the opposite irection,--that is, away from the switc -point, unless the electric circuit connccted with the intermediate, insulatedtrack-section, shown in Fig.1, 'is broken, as has been clearly described in said application torpedo upon the track, when the controlling circuit of the torpedo-placing mechanism is.

. broken, as liap ens when a train approaches the open switc the torpedo-placing mechanism operates to thrust one of the radially movable torpedo holders outwardly and thereby locate a torpedo above the adjacent track-rail; and when the controlling circuit is restored, the mechanism operates to withdraw the projected torpedo-holder, as described in said application. 5 i

In the present invention, there is employed an electric circuit controlled by the means which serves toeject the-torpedo, said circuit being broken .Whenthe torpedo isejected.

Said last-named circuit controls the movable local stop which hasbeen mentioned above as serving to operate the rock-shaft carried by the'en inc. When said last-named circuit is bro (en, during the ejectionlof the torpedo, it o crates to permit said movable stop to ,.dro rom its normal standing osition shown lndotted lines'in Fig. 8, toits orizontal position shown in fulHmes inFigs. 2 and 8, so as to be in position to engage the c0- operating mechan sm of the engine.

' In the preferred construction of the pres-- ent invention, which is that illustrated, -A represents a railwa track electrically divided into sections having connectedtherewith a side-track A and a switch-point A -o erated by any con- 7 venient means (not 8 own); B, torpedo lacing mechanism controlled by-a-'c1rcuit 1 having a branch B adapted to be broken when the switch-point A is open to admit a train to the side-track, and having a branch B controlled by circuits connected with the track B, an electric circuit connected with the track-section A and controlling the branch B 'of the circuit B; and B an elec-' tric circuit connected with the track-section A and serving, in connection with the circuit B, to control the branch B of the circuit 13. It may be stated here that the circuits B and B control the branch circuit B according to the track condition, through the w medium of'mechanism B, as described in said application N 0. 379,791. It is sufficient to state here that the circuit B has in it a magnet whose armature controls a circuitbreaker with which the circuit Bis equipped,

- and the circuit B has in it a magnet which has two armatures, one of which serves as a lock for said first-named armature, and the other of which serves as a lock for its com.-

In the operation of placing a A A, the section A vpanion armature. Also, the circuit B is provided at difi'erent points with batteries or generators, one of which is adapted to be 'short-circuited; by a train, thereby partially deenergizing the magnet in the circuit and permitting that armature of said magnet which is most easily released'to fall back into osition to-lock the armature of the magnet in thecircuit B, while it is itself sustained by its companion locking-armature Themechanism B is fully described and claimed in Letters Patent No. 858,591, granted to E. E. Flora July 2,1907. The circuit B has there,- in a magnet B whose armature B controls a circuit B ,-which, when broken, permits the torpedo-placing -mechanism B, which is vpartiall 1 ustrated in Fig. .16 and. fully de scribed in said application No. 379,791,120"

operate. The torpedo-placing mechanism B has connected' therewith a normally closed electric circuit B ,'which serves to control local mechanism C located by the side of the railway track, which provided with a mov-' *able stop Gfl which, in turn, serves to actuate relief-valve operating mechanism 1) mounted on the engine or motor-car D The mechanism D, qperates,-in emergency,to vent the train-plpeand' ap ly' the brakes. As will be clearly understoo from said application No.

379,791, the torpedo placin mechanism B is equipped, as illustratedin ig. 16 of-the accompanying drawin s, with a rotary carrier 1 equipped with raciallymovable torpedoholders 2 adapted to-he rejected by a rockarm 3 mounted on a s aft 4,, which is-actuated by the weight 5. When theQweight'S moves in the direction indicated by the'arpermitting the contact 7 to leave the contact 6, thereby opening the circuit B". When the circuit B is broken, the mechanism 0 is permitted to act to allow the stop 0 to drop from the vertical position shown 'm'Fig. 15 to l 20 the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2.

The mechanlsm 0 preferably comprises a casing 8; a standard9 rising therefrom and supportingthe movable stop 0 and mechanl'sm 10 serving to operate-the .mov'able stop. v I As shown in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive, the standard 9 is of-tubular construction, and issurmountcd by a chamber 11 which is journaled a rocl -shaft 12 equipped with a sprocket-wheel 13. About the sprocket-' wheel passes a sprocket-chain 14 whose ends pass over grooved rollers 15 and depend into the tubular standard, where one end is connected with an actuating rod 16 and the other end with a weight 17. The stop 0 comprises a U-shaped member, which may be formed of a heavy rod, as shown in Fig. 10. The end portions of the member 0 are connected with castings 18 rigidly secured to the extremities of the shaft 12. The castings 18 are provided with arms 19 having weighted ends '20, which are connected by a cross-rod 2]., the weighted ends of said arms being adapted to engage a buffer, or stop, 22

carried by the standard 9, as shown in Fig. 6. Thus, the stop 22 limits the downward swing of the stop-arm C As has been indicated, the normal position of the arm C is shown in Fig. 15, in which position it is held, against the tendency of the weights 20 to throw it to the horizontal position, by the mechanism 10. When the circuit 15 is interrupted, the mechanism 110 permits the arm 0 to drop to the horizontal position under the action of the weights 20, and when the circuit B is restored to a closed condition, the mechanism 10 operates to restore the arm (1 to a standing, or inoperative, position.

The mechanism .10 will be understood by reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5. It comprises a frame 23 located within the casing 8; a vertically movable rod, or plunger, 24 extending through a suitable guide in the upper portion of the frame 23 and having its upper end pivotallyconnected with the lower end of the rod 16; an annular electro -magnet 25 through which the lower end of the rod, or plunger, extends; an armature 26 for said ma net, which is seated on a shoulder 27 wit 1 which the rod 24 is provided, and which is secured to the rod 24 by a pin 28; an electric-contact member 29 carriedby the armature 26; a pair of. yielding contactmembers 30 coeacting with the contact-memher 29 and mounted on insulating blocks 31 carried by the frame 23 a cross-head 32 located above the armature 26 and slidable on the plunger 24; links 33 joined at their upper ends by pivots 34 with the lugs of thc cross head 32; a connecting-rod 35 having an onlarged end connected by pivots 36 with the lower ends of the links 33; a shaft 37 journaled in the frame 23 near the base thereof and equipped with a crank 38 connected by a wrist-pin 39 with the lower end of the connecting-rod 35; a ratcliet-wheel 40 rigidly connected with and serving to actuate the shaft 37; a ear-wheel 41 join-nailed on the shaft 37 and having a lateral chamber 42 within which is located the ratchetwhcel 40 and within which is also pivoted a pawl 43 carried by the gear 41 and co-acting with the ratchet-wheel 40 and a gear-train 44 serving toactuate'thegear 41, and, in turn, actuated by an electric motor 45.

The details of construction of the mechanism 10 may be varied, and a more detailed description of said mechanism is unnecessary. The diagrammatic View shown in Fig. 15 will give a ready understandin of the manner in which the plunger 24 is he (1 normally in a depressed position and the stoparm C thereby held in a vertical position while the electric circuit B remains closed; and will also give an understanding of the manner in which the circuit of the motor 45 is controlled. The circuit B has therein an 'electro-magnet 46 which controls a circuitbreaker 47 in an electric circuit 48, which normally energizes the magnet 25, thereby s0 normally holding the armature 26 pressed position, and, through the medium of said armature 26, holdin the plunger 24 in its lowermost position, tlius preventing the stop-arm C from falling to the horizontal position. The motor 45 has a circuit 49 which connects with brushes 50 and 51 which normally rest, side by side, upon an insulating strip 52 of a rotary contact-meniher, or metallic cylinder, 53 actuated by the gear 41. A conductor 54 connects one of the contact-members 30 with one side of the motor circuit 49, and a conductor 55 connects the other contact-member SO-With the armature 47. Connected with the other side of the motor circuit 49 is a conductor 56 which has a contact 57 normally in engagement with the armature 47. W hen the ma net 46 is denergized, thereby interrupting t 1e circuit 48 of the magnet 25, the armature 26 will be permitted to rise under the action of the weights 20 which throw the stop-arm C to a horizontal position. This action is permitted by reason of the fact that the gear-wheel 4]. stands normally in the position shown in Fig. 15, so that the cross-head 32 normally occupies the elevated position shown in Fig. 15. When the armature 26 is raised to the upper end of its traverse, as happens when the plunger 24 is elevated dur- 11-0 mg the drop of the stop-arm C the contact-member 29 enters between the contact-members 30 and closes the circuit of the conductors 54 and 55 at that point. When the circuit B is reestablished, the armature 47 is restored to the position shown in Fig.

15, and the motor circuit 49 isthen completed through the conductors 54, 55 an id 56. Thus the motor is set in operation, and be fore the contact-member 29 is depressed suiiiciently to leave the contact-members 30, the motor circuit is established through the brushes 50 and 51 and the rotary contact member 53. The motor then continues to operate until the gear 41 completes its revolution, thereby bringing the armature 26 again into contact with the magnet 25 and lifting the stop-arm C to the, standing posi- ,tion.

The train-carried, or transient, mechanism in a de- -15; niece-e D which cooperates with the local movable with arms 59 adapted to be engaged by the local sto p-armsC -y bearings 60 supported by the engine D and through which the end portions of the shaft 58 extend; sleeve, or

no] slot 62 engage by a lug, or stud, 63 with which the shaft 58 is equipped (Fig. -14) springs 6e within the bearings 66 and WJiUil serve to restore the rock-shaft 58 and sleeve 61 to their normal position, after the rockshaft has been actuated throup'h the medium of the arms C and 59'; a central hanger 65 through Wliichjthe shaft 58 extends; a tubular keeper 66 through which the shalt 58 extends and which is connected with the hanger 65in any suitable manner to give rigidity to the keeper 66, said keeper being pro vided with a longitudinal slot 67 whose ends are intersected by circumferential slots 68, 69; a shaft-shifting lever 70 rigidly connected with the shaft 58, and located normally in either the slot es or the slot 69, according to which of the arms 59 on the rock-shaft 58 it is desired to employ in connection with the stop-arms located along the railway track (this do ending upon the direction of movement- 0 the train in a single track system); an arrn'Zl ri 'idly connected with the tubular shaft 61 and having connected therewith a link 72 provided, witha slot 7 3; and a relief valve 74 havingfan actuating arm '75 equipped'with a stud 7 6 en 'aging with the slot 73. The relief-valve ii is connected with the relief pipe 7? which controls the brakes. 78 controlled by ernanua ly operated valve 79, a branch 80 with which the auto matically actuated relief-valve 74 is con nected, The branch-pipe- 80 is equipped with a whistle 81. The actuating arm 75 of the relief valve 74 is equipped with a springi held pawl 82 adapted to engage a notch 83 with which the casing of the valve equip ed When the arm 75 is lifted in the d1rect1on indicated by the arrow in Fig. 33, the

locking the reliei valve inthc open position. The pawl 82 is equipped with a knob 84, by means of which the pawl 82 may be released from the shoulder 83, thereby permitting the valve 7 4 to be closed. T he valve 74 is so located that it will be necessary, in the event that the valve is automatically opened, for the engineer to leave his seat in the cal: in

of the train.

In practice, the mechanism C is located be the switch-point, .or the point to be protected, the t0IPG(lOPl&CH1g mechanism being tendingvrock-shaft 58' equipped at its ends tubular shaft, 61 rovided with a longitudi As shown, the pi 77 has brnncl'r awl 82 engages the notch 83, thereby I order to close the valve and regain control tween the torpedo-placing mechanism and 1 the torpedo.

' armature from the mechanism Lo to bring in Elli signal, train will bro ught to it stop when the i onconntin'ed.

'lhe operation may be brlcirv thus: *6. hen a train appromzhcs 1 e uit will open switch, th brain. c1 orolien, and the :moli Lilli 15 being the l5 (Jill be dcene' thcroo lire crnuttnr" t 10 torpedo-placing nieclian n B to o cr project a torpedo. 1 placing mechanism opera is, it

thereby permitting the arnn itnrc and cal the circuit of i hen the magnet :25 (new ergized, the stopmrni U is permitted to fall 8 circuit ii i? to rncv magnet l/l or opening the IQllCf-X-"llffi 4. ope .ion gust descr ed assumes that t; engineer failed to heed the warning given by in case the engineer hoods the by the torpedo, he may either bring train to it stop be'fo c the local mechanism S isencountered; or, he may shift the sir-aft 58 that its actuating-arm 59 will not encounter the stop L in which case the hrahes will be operated under control; or, h i, av permit the automatic action of "ct-vrdve to occiir and stand ready to rot iunnediate control of ti '1 train or re le ioawl 82 clos the velve- "I l.

warnin iven L b After rep C has been dropped to the i101 l 1 osition, it will remain in that pos t on until the circuit B is reestablished, whereupon the electric motor will operate, in the manner described above, to lower the cross-hesd 32 and thereby draw down the 26 and plunger 24. We hen the armature 2c is brought again within the range of the magnet 25, it will be held in that position until the circuit 48 is again br ken as a result ol the breaking of the Ci] B.

it is noteworthy that by comh ring the torpedo-placing mechanism B with the trainstopping mechanism, the engineer is enabled to bring his train gradually to a stop, or to proceed cautiously, thereby avoidin injur to the train, saving time, and enabling the most economical train-operation to be car ried out. i

The arm 0 carries a shield or blind 84, which serves, when the arm C is in its inoper ative position, to cover a lamp 85 which surmounts the post 9. When the arm C drops to the operative position, the danger light is offered to view.

cure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a track, of torpedo-placing mechanism located adjacent to the track at a given point, and train-controllin mechamsm located at the track some 'stance in advance of and protected by said torpedo-placing mechanism.

2. The combination with a track, of traincontrolling mechanism located at the side of the track some distance in advance of a point to be protected, and torpedolacing mechanism connected with the trac some distance in advance of the train-controlling mechanism and serving to control the traincontrolling mechanism.

3. The combination with a track, of electrically-controlled torpedolacing mechanism connected with the trac c, and train-controlling mechanism electrically-controlled by said torpedo-placing mechanism.

4. The combination with a railway track, of local train-controlling mechanism comrising a movable stop-arm normally located 111 the inoperative position, means tending normally to throw said stop-arm to the operative position, and electro magnetic means normally holding said stop-arm in its inoperative position. w

5. The combination with a railway track,

of a movable stop-arm, means for controllingthe position of said stop-arm, and train-carried valve-controlling mechanism, com rising a shiftable rock-shaft equipped wit an ,actuating arm, and valve-actuating means connected with said rock-shaft.

6.' The combination with a railway track, of local train-controlling mechanism comrising a movable sto -arm, means for controllin the position 0 said stop-arm, train carrie mechanism comprising a relief-valve equipped with an actuating-arm, a rockshaft equipped with an arm having lost-motion connection with the actuating-arm of said valve, and an arm carried by said rockshaft adapted to be engaged by said stoparm of the local mechanism.

7. In train-carried train-controlling mechanism, the combination with a valve, of a transversely extending longitudinall shiftable rock-shaft connected with said valve, means for shifting said rock-shaft, and actuating-arms connected with the extremities of said ro0k-shaft.

8. In train-carried train-controlling mechanism, the combination with a relief-valve, of a. tubular rock-shaft connected with said valve, a. longitudinally shiftablerock-shaft extending through said tubular shaft and having sliding connection therewith, whereby said shafts Wlll turn to ether, an actuatingarm connected with sai second-named shaft, and a sprin serving to restore said shafts to their normaI position.

9. In train-carried train-controlling mechanism, the combination of a longitudinally shiftable transversely extending rock-shaft, a keeper through which said rock-shaft extends, a shifting-arm connected with said rock-shaft and co-acting with said keeper, a relief-valve connected with said rock-shaft, an actuating-arm for the rock-shaft, and a spring tending to restore the rock-shaft to its normal position after it has been auto- -matically actuated.

10. The combination with a railway track, of local train-controlling mechanism, comprising a standard, a rock-shaft 'ournaled therein and equipped with a normally standing stop-arm, a weighted arm connected with said rock-shaft and tending to throw said first-named arm to the operative position, and means for restoring said stop-arm to the standing osition.

11. In ocal train-controlling mechanism, the combination of a movable stop-arm, means tending to throw said stop arm to the operative position, a plunger through the medium of which said stop-armmay be restored to its inoperative position, an electromagnet having an armature movable on said plunger, an electric motor, circuits for said magnet and motor controlled by said armature, and gear mechanism actuated by the motor and serving to depress said plunger and said armature to brin the armature again within the range of saicI' magnet. I

12. In local train-controlling mechanism, the combination of a movable stop-arm, means tending to throw said stop-arm to the operative position, a plunger serving to restore said stop-arm to the inoperative position, an electro magnet having an armature movable with relation 'to said plunger, a cross-head movably connected with said plunger, an electric motor, gear mechanism connected with the electric motor and with said cross-head, circuits for said magnet and motor controlled by said armature, and con trolling mechanism for the motor circuit con trolled by said gear mechanism.

18. In train-controlling mechanism, the combination with a standard, of a lamp carried thereby, a stop-arm pivoted on said standard, means for actuating said stoparm, and a lamp blind carried y said stoparm. ELLSWORTH E. FLORA. ROBERT J. ZORGE.

In presence of RALPH SCHAEFER, L. KIRKLAND. 

